How things have changed!
4 years ago, I wrote that It's definitely so much easier when you travel only with a rucksack and necessary items. that couldn’t be far from the truth. I was a hobo, into neo-hobonism, a term that I used to refer to the digital nomad lifestyle. I was very much living off my backpack, sometimes I slept at the airport or train station. I brought very minimal clothing and was often in plain colors. In the past, I thought this was the way, fun, and adventurous. But when I looked at the trend of how I traveled and living from 2020-2022, I was no longer the same. In fact, I am ashamed of myself because I could no longer live off of a backpack.
These days instead of traveling with just a few shirts, I travel with a suitcase and a backpack which wasn't really my thing in the past. It weighs me down a bit that I realized I have more than 200 items in my life, yes I counted every thing that I owned. By now, my items have grown to about 500. In the past, I could easily downsize my thing by doing weekly decluttering that includes donating some of my clothes and books. I also did the may challenge in which you have to get rid of items based on the date. But these days, I haven’t had the chance to do it. Now that I am going to travel again, I started re-thinking about my choices. I started wondering if I can travel and pack light like I used to which also would mean, letting go some of my laptops. This also got me re-thinking if I still am a minimalist. Perhaps I am, perhaps I am not.
The hardest part is always my gadget these days. I still couldn’t let go of my attachment to my laptop despite getting a new one a few months ago. My laptops are something I can’t live without as they have been with me through my hustles. So, even if you ask me to let them go, I find it really hard. But for my upcoming travels, I decided to let them go and have them stored somewhere.
I also recently got a lightweight and foldable duffel bag that would replace my suitcase which soon to be donated as well. It said that it could handle up to 30L but nothing too heavy. I also got my regular backpack that would accompany me during the trip. I use products from eiger because they are durable. Sure is, they are quite costly but the quality is up to par. For my upcoming trip, I decided to only live off from a few sweatshirts and dresses. This definitely would be a challenge for me as I tend to overpack these days.
And when it comes to spending, I am challenging myself to spend as little as possible. I won’t do any extra conveniences just because I can or it’s nice. I want to try to challenge my survival skills and not to mention, reminiscing about the past where I slept everywhere and relied on snack bars. These days, I have been pampering myself too much and indulging in something that I think is a bit wasteful.
I recalled sleeping at a hostel that has bed bugs and I ended up sleeping on the floor. Regardless of that, It was fun though, because at hostels, I can meet interesting people and even told a hostel owner I met to invest in bitcoin and the other network back in 2017. I hope he still hodl and got rich. Anyway, in my upcoming travel, one of my accommodations during this trip would be outdoors on a camping site. That should be very fun and also on a budget.
Living minimalistically in the past has helped me a lot. I was a soon-to-be hoarder and then, I managed to curb that with minimalism. I found so much freedom having less as I could move freely, be anywhere I want, and have extra savings. Truth is, part of that lifestyle got me into the point I am today where I can have some room to work creatively instead of being a corporate cog. It also has helped me experience fun things in life than owning more things. Though I admit, sometimes I really want that PS5, A goddamn PC, whatever people have that requires me being in one place forever. But then I realized, inside my head there’s only me and the need to venture somewhere far and experience life before I got to 26. I find having things really bind me down and I am not ready yet to be binded by things.
If you want to read my minimalism journey, you can find some of them here. Some gems are also here :
📎 How Minimalism Has Helped Me Getting My Sh*t Together
📎 Update on my Minimalist lifestyle
Mac's Pinmapple Travel List
 | Mac is a jack of all trades. A typical introvert in love with literature, books, technology and philosophy. She is also so into nootropics, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than that, she is passionate about cooking and traveling. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, leave a comment or a feedback. A re-blog is also appreciated. |